The Book of Jonah Is not only about a storm, a great fish, and a wicked city It is about a prophet who ran from the mercy of God I heard the word rise like thunder Go east to the city of blood But I went down to the harbor And I paid my fare to run Tarshish called like distance Like a road without your name But the sea began to answer And the wind exposed my shame Down to the ship, down to the store Down where my rebellion fell I could not outrun mercy Even running from myself I ran from the God who sees me I fled from the voice I knew But the deep could never hide me From the hand that pulled me through In the belly of the darkness When the waves closed over me I cried from the grave beneath the sea And mercy found me The sailors cast their questions The sky turned black with wrath I told them I had feared you While I walk the rebel path They threw me to the water And the storm went still above Then the deep wrapped all around me Like a judgment made of love Down past the roots Down past the light, down where no proud man stands But even there you heard me From the hollow of your hands I ran from the guard who sees me I fled from the voice I knew But the deep could never hide me From the hand that pulled me through In the belly of the darkness When the waves closed over me I cried from the grave beneath the sea And mercy found me Salvation is of the Lord The truth broke through the night The fish gave back the prophet To the shore and to the light So I walked into Nineveh With ashes in my tome Forty days in judgment comes If your heart stays stoned Then the king came down from glory And the violent city mourned Even beasts stood under sackcloth While the kingdom turned toward the Lord But I sat outside in anger At the mercy I had preached I wanted fire from heaven Not forgiveness in the streets I ran from the God who sees me I fled from the voice I knew But the deep could never hide me From the hand that pulled me through You spared me in the darkness You spared the city too And I still had to learn your mercy Was never mine to choose The vine grew up above me Then withered in the dawn And you asked if I had pity While the city still lived on Thank you.